Repeating toy gun



Jan. 10, 1956 R. E. HICKS 2,730,094

REPEATING TOY GUN Filed Oct. 11, 1952 INVENTOR. 370V 5 f/lC/RS (Quill. TL/MAJ AWOENEYG.

United States Patent REPEATING TOY GUN Roy E. Hicks, Pcnca City, Olria.

Application October 11, 1952, Serial No. 334,249

3 Claims. (Cl. 12419) The present improvements relate, as indicated, to toy guns and more particularly to a toy gun of the repeating type for discharging a plurality of elastic missiles such as endless rubber bands.

It is a primary object of my invention to provide a toy gun of comparatively simple yet rugged construction which has a double action and may be selectively operated to fire a plurality of elastic missiles either individually or simultaneously.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a toy gun having a positive self-cocking action.

his a further object of my invention to provide a toy gun having plural hammer and trigger mechanisms and a single elastic member resiliently maintaining all such mechanisms in cocked position. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawing set forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Pig. 1 is a side elevation of my toy gun with the barrel thereof broken away for convenience of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a similar side elevation with one hammer and trigger mechanism of the gun moved to substantially missile releasing position;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the gun.

Referring now to the drawing, my toy gun as there shown comprises a body 1 which may be shaped to simulate a rifle having a barrel and stock, as in the illustrated embodiment, or in any other suita'bie form operative in the manner described hereinbelow. Regardless .of the specific shape of the gun body, it will be provided with a discharge end 2 over which the elastic missiles, such as endless rubber bands, which the gun is designed to shoot will be stretched.

The body 1 of the gun supports at a point suitably spaced from its discharge end a first transverse shaft element 3 extending therethrough and projecting laterally beyond the respective sides of the body. Mounted on each end of this shaft element for independent pivotal movement relative to the gun body is a hammer formed with an upstanding portion 5 adapted to receive one end of an elastic missile or band, the other end of which is stretched over the gun discharge end. Each such hammer further has an inclined edge 6 extending downwardly and rearwardly from the portion 5, a vertically depending shoulder 7, and a recess 8 of predetermined length in the leading edge thereof.

A second transverse shaft element 9 extends through tne body of the gun at a point to the rear and below the shaft 3 and receives at each end a pivotally mounted trigger 10 for releasably maintaining the respectively "ice 2 associated hammer 4 in cocked position. As shown, the triggers are of generally parabolic shape having opposed end portions 11 and 12, with end portions 11 disposed to engage thehammer shoulders? and end portions 12 extending beyond the gun body to permit manual actuation of the triggers.

It will be apparent that the engagement of each trigger portion 11 with the shoulder 7 of the respectively associated hammer in the cooked position shown as in Fig. 1 will prevent the hammers from pivoting in the direction of the gun discharge end 2 and, with the elements in such position, that the gun .may be loaded with the elastic missiles. Since the gun comprises two independcntiy operabie hammer and trigger mechanisms, it may be loaded with two missiles which may be discharged individually or simultaneously through actuation of one or .both trigger portions 12. To enhance such action, the discharge end 2 may be recessed as at 13 and pro- .vidcd therein with projections, such as the finishing nails 14, insuring that the two missiles remain separated as theypass over the endof the gun body.

When a trigger 1G is moved to fire a missile, the portion i1 thereof will be disengaged from the cooperable hammer shoulder 7 and the hammer will be pivoted by tension in the loaded missile in the direction of the gun discharge end until the missile slides oif the upstanding hammer portion 5. With the structure thus far described, it would be necessary to manually restore the hammer and trigger to cocked position preparatory to reloading, however, my improved gun includes a positive self-cocking actionfor automatically returning each hammer and trigger mechanism to cocked position after a firing operation. This automatic feature is provided by an elastic band, such as a small rubber band '15, which :passes through a hole 16 in the gun body and extends from each end of such hole in the form of a ioop passing over the pins 17 on the outer surfaces of the hammers and the pins 18 on the outer trigger surfaces. The hole 16 is located above and to the rear of the shaft 3 while pins 17 are above the hammer axis and pins .18 on the trigger end portions 11. Thus, the band resiliently maintains each hammer and trigger in the cocked position and will operate to return the parts to such position after discharge of a missile.

On each side of the central gun body portion, the band '15 crosses the path of hammer movement from cocked position in the free span thereof extending between the hole 16 and hammer pin 17, and will be engaged by the hammer inclined surface 6 in such span to thereby assist the automatic cocking action. As shown in Fig. 2, this interengagement results in added stretching of the band for more readily and positively restoring the hammer and trigger mechanism to cocked position. In order to limit the rotativemovement .of each hammer, both in the direction of the gun discharge end-under the influence of the missile and in the opposite direction by the elastic band 15, there is provided a pin 19 extending through the gun body and projecting at each side into the hammer recesses 8. These recesses are of predetermined length such that the respective ends thereof will be engaged by pin 19 at the operative limits of hammer oscillation.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that my improved structure provides both a repeating action and a self-cocking action in a toy gun withount rendering the gun complex in construction, expensive of manufacture or difiicult to service. All operating parts of the gun, including the means for automatically restoring them to cocked position, are readily accessible for replacement or such repair as may be required. While I have shown a construction comprising two hammer and trigger mechanisms, whereby the gun is capable of discharging two missiles with a single loading, it will be apparent that the concept of employing a single elastic member for the purpose of self-cocking as taught herein may be used with more than two such mechanisms. Other modifications and changes in the structure specifically disclosed will suggest themselves, without, however, departing from the basic idea of the invention.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described provided the features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A repeating toy gun adapted to discharge resilient band projectiles, comprising a body including a portion simulative of a gun barrel and adapted to have such projectiles stretched thereon, a pair of hammer members pivotally attached to said body in laterally spaced-apart relation adjacent the rear end of such barrel portion, said hammer members being rockable independently of one another with each adapted to have such a projectile engaged thereabout above its pivotal connection, a pair of trigger members respectively associated with said hammer members and being likewise mounted for independent rocking movement on said body, each such trigger member in a cocked position thereof engaging the respectively associated hammer member below the pivotal connection of the latter to restrain the same against rocking forwardly and releasing the hammer member for such movement upon actuation to a firing position, and a cocking member in the form of a resilient band engaged intermediate its ends with the body generally between the two hammer and trigger member assemblies and with the several hammer and trigger members at spaced points along its end portions to either side of the thus engaged body portion, such points of engagement being so arranged spatially that each end portion of the cocking band extends from the body forwardly to the hammer member engaged thereby, rearwardly and downwardly to the associated trigger member, and then upwardly back to the body, the cocking band thereby being operative resiliently to maintain both hammer and trigger member assemblies in cocked condition and to return the same to such condition after firing.

2. A repeating toy gun adapted to discharge resilient band projectiles, comprising a body including a portion simulative of a gun barrel and adapted to have such projectiles stretched thereon, a pair of hammer members pivotally attached respectively to the outer sides of said body adjacent the rear end of such barrel portion, said hammer members being rockable independently of one another with each adapted to have such a projectile engaged thereabout above its pivotal connection, a pair of trigger members respectively associated with said hammer members and being likewise mounted for independent rocking movement at the outer sides of said body, each such trigger member in a cocked position thereof engaging the respectively associated hammer member below the pivotal connection of the latter to restrain the same against rocking forwardly and releasing the hammer member for such movement upon actuation to a firing position, and a cocking member in the form of a resilient band engaged intermediate its ends with the body generally between the two hammer and trigger member assemblies and with the several hammer and trigger members at spaced points along its end portions to either side of the thus engaged body portion, such points of engagement being so arranged spatially that each end portion of the cocking band extends from the body forwardly to the hammer member engaged thereby, rearwardly and downwardly to the associated trigger member, and then upwardly back to the body, the cooking band thereby being operative resiliently to maintain both hammer and trigger member assemblies in cocked condition and to return the same to such condition after firing.

3. A repeating toy gun adapted to discharge resilient band projectiles, comprising a body including a portion simulative of a gun barrel and adapted to have such projectiles stretched thereon, a pair of hammer members pivotally. attached respectively to the outer sides of said body adjacent the rear end of such barrel portion, said hammer members being rockable independently of one another with each adapted to have such a projectile engaged thereabout above its pivotal connection, a pair of trigger members respectively associated with said hammer members and being likewise mounted for independent rocking movement at the outer sides of said body, each such trigger member in a cocked position thereof engaging the respectively associated hammer member below the pivotal connection of the latter to restrain the same against rocking forwardly and releasing the hammer member for such movement upon actuation to a firing position, a cocking member in the form of a resilient band having an intermediate portion thereof passed through an opening in said body between the two hammer and trigger member assemblies and its end portions to either side of the body engaged at spaced points with the hammer and trigger members, such points of engagement being so arranged spatially that each end portion of the cocking band extends from the body forwardly to the hammer member engaged thereby, rearwardly and downwardly to the associated trigger member, and then upwardly back to the body, the cocking band thereby being operative resiliently to maintain both hammer and trigger member assemblies in cocked condition and to return the same to such condition after firing, and stops on said body operative by engagement with said hammer members to limit the extent to which the same may rock about their pivotal connections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,469,610 Ustynik Oct. 2, 1923 1,486,403 Watkins Mar. 11, 1924 1,957,713 Howe May 8, 1934 2,505,591 Stone Apr. 25, 1950 2,573,142 Herring Oct. 30, 1951 2,676,581 Moore Apr. 27, 1954 

